Sharon Van Etten is an acclaimed singer-songwriter, we know this. But would you believe me if I told you she was also a doctor? You would? Really? Well, cool, Sharon Van Etten is totally a doctor! In fact, she’s got the results of your blood test right now. As it turns out, your blood has transformed into a bloody mary constantly coursing through your veins, so you’re drunk all the time now. Bummer/awesome? Results of the test pointed to signs that Sharon Van Etten is doing a ton of touring this year behind her Jagjaguwar debut, Tramp (TMT Review), released earlier this year. What? Why would there be information relating to Sharon Van Etten in your blood? Shut up, you’ll believe whatever I tell you.

In fact, believe this information, because this information is true. Throughout most of the year’s remainder, Van Etten will be on a tour of one variety or another. This summer, she’ll be off on a North American tour. Following that, she’ll head to Europe for a while. Once that’s done, she’ll be back to North America once again for another tour, daaaaang. Within all this touring, there will be dates with such noted folks as Conor Oberst, Damien Jurado, Andrew Bird, and Tennis. In addition to all that, she’ll be sharing the stage with dozens of noted acts at Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest. Go to that, I will be there, we can hug.

Like Jack Kerouac, the sad, sad family in The Grapes of Wrath, and generations and generations of burnt-out lovers, Brooklyn post-punks Crystal Stilts are heading West on a vision quest. Crystal Stilts — one of the newest additions to the Sacred Bones family — will be chasing their spirit animal (a rabid bat with a fuzz pedal for a mouth, whose wings are made of tight black jeans; trust me on this one) from Vancouver to Los Angeles this July, teaming up with labelmate Wymond Miles and Mexican Summer artists The Mantles for a couple of dates. Then it’s back to New York, where Crystal Stilts will help preside over the black celebration that will be the Peter Murphy/Small Black show at Brooklyn’s The Well.

If you’re skulking around the flying buttresses of your SoCal gothic cathedral, just cringing in anguish at the thought of waiting several more days to see Crystal Stilts live, well, perhaps the band’s new video for “Dark Eyes” will help tide you over (see below). The video was shot in December 2011 at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, with cinematic magic/acid flashbacks summoned by the divine Jacqueline Castel. (Castel has worked with Zola Jesus, Blank Dogs, Moon Duo and a whole host of Sacred Bones type people.) “Dark Eyes” comes off the band’s recent Radiant Door EP.

Samara Lubelski hasn’t released a solo album since Future Slip in 2009, so what’s she been up to since then? Playing violin in a field of giant aluminum flowers? Strumming her guitar on a meteor near Saturn? Collecting rocks? Harvesting stars?

Lubelski has definitely played in Thurston Moore’s band, Chelsea Light Moving, and released a Eureka!-worthy album with Marcia Bassett called Sunday Night, Sunday Afternoon (TMT Review). She’s definitely played in a trio called Metal Mountains and contributed to Unrock’s 2010 series of live CDs. She’s definitely worked on a variety of engineering projects. She’s possibly taught dragonflies to swim, too.

On July 24, Lubelski will release her sixth album, Wavelength, on De Stijl, and it shows the multi-instrumentalist and singer still skirting the inevitable psych-folk label with electric soundscapes (check out the title track below). The album features appearances by many of Lubelski’s friends — P.G. Six on guitars, Helen Rush on Casio, Steve Shelley on drums, Moritz Finkbeiner on keyboards, Thilo Kuhn on Mellotron and vibraphone, Werner Notzel on organ guitar, Willie Lane on guitar, and Mouthus’ Brian Sullivan on guitar — and they all play strictly cosmic-psych or space folk or dream noise.

Jandek sits in a broken chair, strumming a guitar he’s never tuned and singing about midnight telephone calls and wind. No one can hear him. No one can see him.

Bradford Cox smears sunscreen across his face and tells ghost stories to a group of kids wearing printed button-downs and fedoras.

On July 28, Jandek will leave his room and Bradford Cox will put on a hat, maybe a pair of sunglasses. According to Pitchfork, Cox will play guitar in Jandek’s backing band at an Athens, GA show held at the Orange Twin Conservation Community. Cox will play along with various Elephant 6 figures — John Fernandes of Olivia Tremor Control and Circulatory System on bass clarinet and violin, Eric Harris of Elf Power and Olivia Tremor Control on drums, and Heather McIntosh of The Instruments and Gnarls Barkley on cello. Check the details here.

Ms. Melodie, member of the legendary Boogie Down Productions crew and ex-wife of BDP founder KRS-ONE has reportedly passed away.

The Brooklyn native born Ramona Parker was signed to Jive Records where she released her debut album Diva back in 1989. Ms Melodie carved a name for herself in the hip-hop circuit thanks to memorable songs such as “Hype According To Ms. Melodie” and “Live On Stage.” One of Melodie’s latter appearances took place in the classic BDP led “Stop The Violence” video for the song “Self Destruction.” “I’m Ms. Melodie and aim a born again rebel” the raptress spit over the funky tune.